Thu 0041 Got up vaguely midday-ish. Probably left flat about 3pm and walked over to Cerro San Cristobal, up the hill to the statue of the Immaculate Conception. Pretty damn hot, and I didn't take any water with me, but nice views at the top and a cool breeze on occasions. I'd been up there before but it was still nice and I think I may have spent an hour or so meditatively staring out at the city. There was also some religious music being played over the speakers which, for all that I'm not religious myself, I really liked and I am trying to identify the singer but no luck yet. I also happened to note on a plaque that the sculpture of the Virgin inside the chapel beneath the statue itself dates from 2017, so wouldn't have been there on my last visit. (I didn't take a photo of it today and probably didn't (of the chapel, not the statue, of course, as it apparently wasn't there) last time as it felt a bit out of order.)
I then walked down a different route to come out near Pedro de Valdivia metro (which I had by accident walked to by going wrong way after leaving language exchange yesterday) and walked home from there, ie I effectively repeated my walk home last night during the day today. Could of course have got metro over to Baquedano on way out or back from Pedro de Valdivia but figured the exercise would be good for me. Was pretty thirsty/hot by time got home but was strong and went into supermarket to get some soft drinks and water and a couple of things to cook with before coming back to flat.
Had a quietish evening in but think this is OK, I did go out in a fairly substantial way this afternoon. I *think* I have been on the funicular and cable car before, but not sure - in particular the cable car seems to go from the top of the hill over to PdV and I don't recally going on any route other than to/from the north end of Pio Nono before. Old blog posts would presumably reveal the truth.
Had checked re safety on web before going; some mentions of daylight muggings but the fact it's happened once or twice is not automatically suggesting there's a serious risk. There were quite a few people about everywhere, not just at the top of the hill, despite it being a weekday afternoon, and except for one - rather brief, as it turned out - pedestrian trail down a hill on the way back I didn't really feel all that edgy (and it was fine on that trail too, I just wondered if it was a tiny bit desolate and didn't quite realise just how short a path it was).
I did buy a (probably overpriced) plastic cup of mote de huesillos at one of the kiosks just below the statue, before walking down. Quite nice, if not amazing, and I have had it before but I figured it was a bit more of an interesting way to quench my thirst than a diet coke - this was all I had to drink between leaving flat and getting back. Also went into the small museum nearby with some exhibits re the 100th anniversary of the park. Interesting to see it's apparently the largest urban park in Latin America. Mention in museum of a still-being-created 14km path around the entire park - it might be nice to go walk that on a future visit. As it is I may well go back up there at some point during this trip and walk some of the other parts of the park. Had no idea there are two (?) open air swimming pools up there - though obviously I could get more use out of those when I've learned to swim.
Have arranged to meet Cony tomorrow (did that before going out), so we'll see what happens there.
While meditating at top of hill, saw a young girl pick a handful of the small pale yellow fruit from the treet just under the "balcony" ; presumably you're not really supposed to do this but I obviously don't care. Wonder what fruit they were (hard to see but they reminded me slightly of very small peaches) and if they are actually edible. (She was with family so I might guess they wouldn't have let her pick them if the weren't, but maybe they only stopped her eating them after she'd picked them.)
It was hot today, undeniably, but either I'm acclimatising or it isn't quite as hot and/or sticky as it was in Mendoza. The feeling was "man is it hot" not "aargh, I feel so hot and sweaty I'll never be physically comfortable again" . (As always, stray spaces around quote marks courtesy of some secret and not-disable-able Blackberry keyboard feature.)
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